Mary Lou Winter

Mary Lou Winter, age 84, of Lawler, IA died Monday, April 8, 2019, at MercyOne Hospital in New Hampton.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 11, 2019, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler, IA. Interment was held at Mt. Carmel Cemetery with John Winter, Brad Winter, David Drahozal, Nick Drahozal, Paul Meirick, Greg Meirick and Tom Meirick serving as pallbearers.

Friends greeted the family from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler. There was a 7:30 p.m. Parish Scripture Service. Visitation continued up to an hour prior to the Mass on Thursday at the church.  Arrangements are entrusted with Hugeback Johnson Funeral Home in Lawler.  Online condolences may be left at hugebackfuneralhome.com  

Mary Lou Winter was born May 21, 1934, in New Hampton, IA at St. Joseph’s Memorial Hospital, the daughter of Phil and Clara (Gebel) Sabelka. She was the second of two daughters. Mary Lou was raised on the farm North of Lawler. She attended country school around the Lawler area.

She met the love of her life, Melvin Winter, at a dance at the Inwood in Spillville. The couple was married on April 14, 1953, at Riley Ridge Church in rural Lawler. To this union, four children were born. They were longtime residents of Lawler. Mary Lou lived there her entire life until going to the New Hampton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in 2016.

Mary Lou loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was an excellent cook and enjoyed preparing holiday meals for her family as well as special events for the parish priest along with visiting priests. In her free time, she enjoyed making quilts for everyone in her family, collecting Precious Moments and spending time with Melvin on their hobby farm north of Lawler.

She is survived by four children, Jerry (Patty) Winter of Cedar Rapids, IA; Gene (Carol) Winter of Lawler, IA; Debbie (Jeff) Drahozal of Cedar Rapids, IA; Paula (Dennis) Meirick of Protivin, IA; 13 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one sister Phyllis Vsetecka of Lawler, IA; one sister-in-law Alma Ameling of Hawkeye, IA.

Her parents and her husband Melvin (April 6, 1990) preceded her in death.